Not Clowning Around
by V. Emily
Summary: A short and funny series about the team going undercover to break up criminals working in a traveling circus. Mostly a team fic, but there may be slight focus on Kensi and Deeks, with some Densi sprinkled throughout.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everyone! Like I said after my first story ("Of Partners, Ransoms, and Aftershock"), I wanted to do a few short stories before my next series. This is a humorous, three- to four-chapter one that I hope you all enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA. Unfortunately. XD**

"And that, Kensi, is how you make a balloon dog."

"Deeks, all you did was blow up a twisty balloon and put it on the table. That's how you make a snake, not a dog."

"Nonsense. That's a wiener dog if I ever saw one."

"It doesn't even have legs, genius."

"It's fat. You can't see its legs."

"Nice."

Kensi stared for a moment at the lengthy yellow balloon that sat on her table before bursting into laughter. This conversation was so random, so utterly ridiculous, even for them.

"I dare you to do better," Deeks challenged, handing her the small air pump and another, un-inflated rubber balloon.

"Fine," Kensi made a face and took the items from him. She hooked the balloon to the nozzle and began to pump air into it. When it was full enough, she tied it off. Folding the balloon over itself, she made the first twist.

_BLAM! _

The balloon popped, scattering a few rubber pieces around the area of Kensi's desk. Deeks roared with laughter, causing Sam and Callen to look up from their paperwork with those smug grins of theirs.

"Well done," Callen applauded. Kensi flushed, embarrassed.

"And what do you call that animal?" Deeks asked, picking up a balloon piece that had landed on the edge of the desk. "The Self-Destructing Daschund?"

"Ha-ha," Kensi said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "You know what? Balloon animals are for clowns."

"Then you're in luck, Miss Blye," came Hetty's voice. The team all turned their attention to their mysterious boss, who had magically materialized in the entrance of the bullpen.

"What do you mean?" asked Kensi suspiciously.

"Did you just subtly call Kensi a clown?" Deeks inquired, smirking. "Because usually, those kinds of things are aimed at _me_."

"Oh, be assured, you won't be left out, Mr. Deeks," Hetty smiled. "Now that I have piqued your interested, shall we proceed to Ops?"

"All of us?" asked Sam worriedly.

"All of you, Mr. Hanna."

"This is going to be a long day," Callen sighed as he got up to follow his teammates. "Sometimes you can just tell."

In the upstairs Ops room, Eric and Nell were grinning like fools. Deeks groaned when he saw their expressions.

"Oh, this'll be fun, won't it?" he griped.

"Very," Nell assured him. "Best. Mission. Ever."

"Agreed," Eric beamed. "Wait until you guys hear this."

The rest of the team and Hetty filed into the room. On the large screen was displayed a picture of a man with a mohawk and several tattoos on his neck. He also had a nose piercing.

"This man's name is Alan Handris," Eric began at Hetty's signaling nod. "He's been suspected of buying military secrets from a top-level Naval officer, Jerome Westens." Another picture, this one of a man in a Navy uniform, came up on screen. "Westens was recently found out for his crimes, and he's awaiting trial. However, he won't reveal who he sold the secrets to, and that is a very big problem."

"How does this Handris guy play in?" asked Callen.

"Getting to that," replied Eric. "See, phone records show that Westens made a lot of calls in recent weeks to Mr. Handris, and since none of Westens's family and friends claim to know anything about him, we're considering Handris our best lead for who Westens sold the secrets to. According to Westens's wife, Westens would leave home several nights a week without a solid explanation. She was able to give us a few specific dates, and guess what? They all either coincide or immediately follow phone calls placed to Alan Handris."

Nell took over from there. "We've had people tracking Handris, but he's a tough one. Whenever we get close, he just disappears! But I think we've nailed him this time - and guess where he hides out with a few of his secret-stealing buddies?"

"Let me guess," Deeks joked. "The circus."

"Um," Nell looked surprised. "Yeah. You're right."

"Oh my-" Kensi buried her face in her hands. "You're kidding."

"I WAS," protested Deeks. "I didn't actually mean it, Nell!"

A picture came up on the screen of a red-and-white-striped circus tent. Several stalls could be seen in the foreground that sold cotton candy, popcorn, trinkets, and soft drinks.

"Welcome to the West Coast Entertainers Traveling Circus," Eric said grandly.

"They're in Los Angeles until tomorrow, so we have to move fast."

"A bust at a circus," said Callen. "This'll be fun."

"Not so fast," Nell warned. "Like I said, this Handris guy is tricky. He can disappear just like all the other times. If you're going to catch him, you have to be discreet."

"Oh, don't tell me..." groaned Kensi. "We can't seriously-"

"-be going undercover?" Nell finished, a smile spreading across her face. "You got it. Four available covers - fire juggler, magician, clown, and popcorn vendor."

"Dibs on fire juggler," Sam interjected. "I've done it before."

"What?" Deeks looked surprised. "You can't call dibs on covers."

"Sorry, Deeks, but I agree with Sam," Callen shrugged. "And don't magician. That one is mine."

"I can be the vendor," Kensi offered. "Which I guess leaves Deeks with..."

Callen, Kensi, and Sam all said it at once - "Clown."

Deeks groaned. "How come I have to be the one in the rainbow wig and rubber nose?"

"It's in your nature to be ridiculous, Deeks," Kensi informed him. "Now you get to put that skill set to use."

"Funny," Deeks pouted. "Except I don't know how to juggle, make balloon animals, or any of that."

"That just made things ten times as entertaining," teased Kensi.

"Come on, I'll teach you how to juggle," Sam offered grudgingly.

"I hate this job," Deeks mumbled.

"Just wait till you see your costume, then," Nell called as the agents left Ops. Deeks moaned again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Glad people are liking this! If you're enjoying reading it half as much as I'm enjoying writing it...XD Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

"This is an insult to my manhood."

"Well, then we don't have much to worry about."

Deeks was too shocked by his reflection in the lengthy mirror to even come up with a snappy response to Sam's comment. The shirt, yellow with large polkadots in various colors, was absolutely hideous. Not to say that Deeks usually cared much about his appearance (the plaid shirts were a prime example of this) but there was a fine line between sloppy surfer dude and circus clown. _Literally_, circus clown.

The poofy, neon blue pants were even worse - wearing them seemed to erase any work he'd ever done at the gym. And those shiny red shoes that were three times bigger than his feet? Utterly ridiculous.

But perhaps the most horrible part of Deeks's undercover getup was his makeup job. Those horrible disguise operators had almost choked him in white power, then gone over-the-top with bright red blush on his cheeks. They'd outlined his blond eyebrows in thick black, and fastened a disgusting rubber nose over Deeks's own. He had to breathe through his mouth, and his voice was nasally. Over his scruffy, unkempt hair they had fixed a genuine, classic clown's rainbow wig. Sam, usually a man of little emotion, was trying his best not to burst into hysterical fits of laughter.

"Tell me I'm dreaming, Sam. Tell me I am not standing here in this outfit."

"Sorry, pal," Sam shook his head, smug expression on his face. He didn't regret calling dibs on fire juggler. "Let's go over your act."

Needing to embarrass somebody else in order to detract from his own humiliation, Deeks said, "I bet Kensi and Callen will find it interesting that you know how to do all this...clown stuff."

"Yeah, maybe, but I'm not the one in the suit."

"Dang it," thought Deeks as Sam handed him three plastic purple balls.

"Juggle," Sam commanded. "Just like we practiced."

Deeks began slowly to toss the balls in the air, quickly following them with his eyes. It'd taken practically the whole morning for him to even juggle two of them. He definitely wasn't a pro with three yet, but he might pass for a someone who knew how to juggle, as long as he didn't have to keep it up for too long.

"Now try making a balloon animal."

Deeks scowled, complaining as he found the balloons and air pump, "You know, I went to law school. I went to the police academy. I'm a detective who works with NCIS _and_ LAPD. I put my life on the line every time I take a case. For gosh sakes, I work with _Kensi. _Point is, I am a respectable person not without an ounce of pride. And I've been stuffed in a suit with neon blue pants and a rainbow wig!"

Sam only chuckled, a smirk on his face, as if this didn't surprise him at all. Then he turned serious again. "Make the balloon animal."

"But I'm just saying, it's not fa-"

"Deeks, make that balloon animal before _I _pop _you_."

Deeks put on an immature pout, and blew up the balloon. He carefully made the first twist as Sam had shown him, waiting for the thing to blow up, just as Kensi's had this morning. It did not, to his surprise. He finished with two more slow twists, and soon enough he had a green-tinted dog, albeit a rather disproportioned one.

"It needs work."

"Aw, come on, man! I made one without making it explode! That's got to count for something."

"Well, if you didn't make its head as large as the rest of its body, maybe it'd look better. Whatever; it'll do for now. The easiest way to learn is on the job. Come on, we've gotta meet Callen and Kensi and head out."

"What?" Deeks paled under his snow-white makeup. "Is it really necessary that I see them in person? Can't I just, you know, meet you guys there?"

Sam grinned, almost villain-like. He was enjoying this. "Let me guess, you don't want Kensi to see you in your clown suit?"

"Yes," Deeks replied. "I mean no, I don't care what she thinks."

"Yeah, you do. Now come on, we've got criminals to recover. Bring your juggling stuff and your balloons."

Deeks took a deep breath, gathered his things, and followed Sam hesitantly from the dressing room. He kept his eyes squeezed shut as he entered into the bullpen, nearly tripping over a chair in the process. As long as he didn't have to see the look on Kensi's face when she saw his outfit...Sam was right. Deeks only _wished_ he didn't care what his partner thought of him.

When they walked in, Callen was talking to Kensi about his own magician gig.

"The top hat looks smart on you," Kensi commented. "You've done the whole magician thing before, right?"

"Illusionist," Callen corrected. Kensi looked at him skeptically. "Fine," he allotted. "Illusionist with a white rabbit. Still not the same thing."

"Well, I don't see much of a dif-" Kensi stopped as soon as she laid eyes on the clown that had just walked into the bullpen.

"Wow," was all Callen could say. Kensi was speechless.

Then she started laughing.

"Oh, man," she placed a hand on her forehead as she shook with laughter. "Deeks, you look..."

"I know," Deeks grumbled. "But the next time we get disguises, I'm going to be the one with the first pick."

"Fair enough," Callen responded, trying not to laugh himself. Poor Deeks, he needed a _little_ pride left over after this.

"Let's head out before Hetty sees this," Deeks suggested sullenly. When he turned around, who else could be standing there but his boss, as if conjured automatically at the mention of her name?

"What an...interesting outfit, Mr. Deeks," Hetty chose her words carefully. "Very colorful choice of attire."

"Believe me, Hetty, if I'd had a choice this wouldn't have been it," Deeks informed her.

"I'm quite glad to hear that, detective," Hetty nodded. "I might've suggested another psychiatric evaluation if you had willingly chosen these clothes."

Kensi laughed harder, but followed the rest of her team out. All she was wearing as a disguise was an apron. There wasn't a particular dress code for being a popcorn vendor.

"Oh, and Miss Blye?" Hetty called as the junior agent walked out of the bullpen. Kensi lagged behind, and Hetty waited to speak until the Callen, Sam, and especially Deeks were out of earshot.

"Don't be too hard on Mr. Deeks," Hetty said gently. "You are, after all, a key component in his self-esteem system."

"I am?" Kensi wrinkled her forehead.

"More than you know, Miss Blye. Now - go catch us a circus of criminals."

Kensi nodded, still perplexed, but rushed to catch up with her team.

A half hour and a couple of traffic jams later, the team arrived on-scene, parking in a near-deserted lot by the entrance of the circus. The four climbed out. Callen wore a traditional black suit and a top hat which he claimed contained all his "illusionist stuff". Sam wore khaki trousers and a black shirt (there wasn't much of a dress code for off-duty fire-jugglers, either). Deeks, scowling and not looking like a very happy clown at all, circled up with his teammates.

"All right, guys," Callen began. "We've been hired on to the West Coast Entertainers Traveling Circus - but to avoid suspicion, we're gonna have to split up. Keep in touch over radio."

Sam nodded. "Got it."

"No problem," Kensi agreed.

"Done," Deeks sighed. "Let's just get this assignment over with."

"Good luck," Callen told all of them. "And Deeks - try to at least ACT like you're excited about this 'job'. Our employers are under the impression that you want it."

"Act like a clown?" Sam chuckled. "Not a problem for Deeks."

"I appreciate your opinion," Deeks muttered. "Whatever. I can try and be the happy clown - but Kensi has to promise not to laugh at me."

Kensi hurriedly assured him, "Yeah, of course," before the team split up, entering the carnival from different points.

Callen reported immediately to the lead suspect, Alan Handris, who ironically was the circus's ringleader. The man had covered up the tattoos on his neck with makeup, and thick black eyeliner ringed his bright green eyes. He wore red dress pants and matching coat with a white shirt underneath it. His crisp black shoes shone in the light of the electric bulb in Handris's personal trailer. Callen knocked once, waited for the man to call, "It's open," and entered.

Handris, who was operating under the alias Tim Gaubert, didn't look particularly like a criminal. In fact, despite his rather intimidating mohawk and nose ring, he seemed quite friendly at first sight - and acted the part, too.

"Hello and welcome to the West Entertainers Traveling Circus," Gaubert stood and bowed low. He was much taller than Callen. "Tim Gaubert, ringleader and founder. I'm sorry, but the next show's not for another few hours."

"Vaughn Leighton," Callen stuck out his right hand, and Gaubert shook it. "I'm here about the job I received as your newest magician."

"Ah, yes," Gaubert nodded. "The West Entertainers are always looking for good magicians. They're real crowd-pleasers, you know? Clowns, lions, acrobats...they're all well and good, but nothing quite puts the smiles on the kids' faces like seeing an old-fashioned magic trick. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Leighton."

"Pleased to be here," Callen responded. "I've only heard good about this circus."

"Glad to hear it," Gaubert seemed fully relieved at this. "The rest of the circus crew are practicing their acts in the big tent. I was just headed there myself; why don't you come along, Mr. Leighton, and we'll see how you do with the team?"

"Sounds good," Callen agreed, and followed the disguised criminal out of the trailer.

"I'm Grant Jepson," Sam introduced himself to the other fire-juggler, a shirtless man with thick muscles. He wiped the streaks of Coleman fuel from his hands with a rag, then shook Sam's hand.

"You can call me Manny," the man said simply. "Good to know I'm not the only one working with fire anymore. How good are you at juggling?"

"I've dabbled in it now and then," Sam shrugged. "Never thought before to make a career out of it, but in this economy, I'll take anything I can get."

"Hey, I hear that," Manny nodded understandingly. "So. The big-top's a beauty, ain't she? Too bad we're not allowed to practice in there. Fire hazards and all."

"Yeah," Sam replied. "So, what's the rest of the crew like?"

Manny brightened at the question. "They're like family. Thurwood - that's our lion tamer - is so close to everyone he might be their brother. Real good guy. Our lead magician, Cory, she's the smartest young lady you'll ever meet. Then there's our human pretzel, Iris; she's a bit rough but she's a softie, deep down..." Manny prattled on about his circus bandmates, and Sam listened intently, trying to find anything that could help his team with their mission.

"Got any clowns?" Sam asked during a short pause in the conversation.

Manny laughed, saying, "Clowns? Enough to form a circus of their own. We have six - three at a time perform in the show, while the other three are around the fairground, juggling or selling balloons or whatever else they do. There's Thomas, Daphne, Aiden, Otto, Michael, and Lainey," Manny laughed again. "Boy, Lainey, though...once she's out of her wig and makeup and dressed like a normal gal, she's stunning. But she'll slit your throat if you even say so. Why such a stubborn, fiery person ever wanted to become a clown is beyond me."

Thought Sam to himself with a smirk, _"Have fun with that, Deeks."_

"And who do we have here?" the amused young man wondered aloud as he took in the brunette standing before him.

The woman was wearing a pinstripe apron and a hairnet, but she still looked amazing. The man had to raise his eyebrows and dared to hope that she was the new vendor he'd heard talk about.

"Pray tell, what brings a pretty girl like you to a circus?" asked the young cotton candy vendor. "Certainly you aren't the new bearded woman."

"_He's worse than Deeks,"_ Kensi thought, appalled. Aloud, she said, "I'm Denise. I'm the new popcorn vendor."

"Splendid!" the English man's eyes sparkled. "Tristan the Legendary Candy Salesperson, at your humble service, Miss Denise."

"What's with the formality?" Kensi asked, somewhat surprised.

The middle-aged trinket peddler called as he walked by, "That's just how Tristan talks."

Tristan laughed. "Ignore Samson. He doesn't appreciate a gentleman. Now, then, Denise, would you like me to show you to your popcorn cart?"

"Um, sure," Kensi agreed reluctantly. Tristan offered his arm, and Kensi took it, seeing no problem.

Meanwhile, Deeks was wandering that same area, trying to find the other clowns. He felt as if he had a storm cloud brewing over his head; he'd never felt so sour about a mission before. So seeing Kensi being led around by some dashing gentleman who was _holding her arm _- the scum! - was like biting into a lemon. Deeks chewed on the inside of his lip.

Tristan was quite enjoying leading this pretty lady around the fairground to her popcorn cart. He'd been waiting for a while for something like this. Tristan hoped Denise found his English charm as endearing as others did.

"And up they go!"

Tristan turned, scowling, to the man who had suddenly appeared a few feet behind them. The most ridiculous-looking clown stood in a fresh costume, juggling two multicolored plastic balls in the air.

"Why not add a third one, huh?" the clown continued, adding another orb to the mix. "What do you say?"

Kensi was about to say Deeks's name, but she stopped herself. Instead, she just watched in fascination as her disguised partner juggled. He actually wasn't half bad - but leave it to Deeks to surprise her that way.

"Did you hear the joke about-whoa!" in the middle of his line, Deeks "tripped" and the plastic balls went sailing forward. One it Tristan square in the forehead, and automatically the cotton candy vendor unlinked his arm from Denise's to rub the sore spot. Kensi stifled laughter. Leave it to Deeks also to get jealous.

"Sorry 'bout that," Deeks apologized, gathering up his spilled supplies.

"Bumbling clown," Tristan murmured. "Well, go on! Get on with it! Save the act for the customers."

"Oh, right," Deeks remembered his question. "I'm a new addition here, Snorko the Hilarious. Where are the other clowns?"

"_Snorko?"_ Kensi thought, again having to swallow laughter. _"He'll never live that one down."_

"Three tents over," Tristan waved a hand in the general direction of the clowns' rehearsal tent, still irritated. "Blue and white striped. You'll answer to Thomas."

"Thanks," Deeks put on a grin, bowed, and walked off, looking pointedly one last time at Kensi. Then, juggling and walking backwards (not an easy combination and Deeks knew he couldn't keep it up for long, but it needed to be clear that he could best Tristan), he made his way to the clown tent.

The circus act was only beginning - and the interesting part was just to come.

**Hm. I was hoping to accomplish more with this chapter, but at least their disguises are established. I'll try to put more action into chapter three!**


	3. Chapter 3

**New chapter, hurrah! Hope you enjoy it! (And I love getting your guys' reviews, hint hint. XD) **

"That was good, Mr. Leighton," commended the middle-aged magician.

"_Very_ good," agreed another fellow illusionist, this one younger than the first. "You're a skilled magician, Mr. Leighton."

"Thanks," Callen said as he placed his top hat back on his head. "You guys can call me Vaughn, by the way."

"Indeed," the middle-aged magician nodded. "My name is Stewart." Stewart gestured to the younger illusionist, "And this is Ethan."

"Glad to meet you," said Ethan. "Welcome to the West Entertainers."

"I'm excited to be here," Callen replied. "Are you two the only magicians?"

"Nah," Ethan shook his head. "There's one more, our lead, but she's not here. Once she comes back in an hour or two, you'll get a chance to meet her."

Callen's internal agent radar buzzed. Absent just a few hours before a show? "Who is she?" he asked.

"Who, Cory?" Stewart raised his eyebrows. "I'm surprised Gaubert didn't mention her, seeing as they're cousins and all. She's very clever and she's been here the longest out of us - she's the co-founder of this circus, along with Gaubert."

"She's terrifying is what she is," Ethan shuddered. "I'm glad she's not the lion tamer...I wouldn't trust her near that whip - or the lion, for that matter. Even for a magician, she's pretty sneaky. I don't like her at all. She lurks."

"Oh, that's just Ethan," Stewart waved a hand. "He's newer here, just like you, Vaughn. It takes time. Once you know how Cory works, she's not such a bad person. Well, then, should we be on with our rehearsals? Vaughn, would you like to join us?"

"You think I'm good enough?" asked Callen, surprised.

"Of course!" Ethan exclaimed. "If it were Cory, she'd put you through heck to see if you were worthy of joining the group. But Cory's not here, and Stewart and I think you're a great magician, so we say come on in!"

Callen thanked them again, then excused himself from the large tent for a moment. He dialed Sam on his cell phone; the agent picked up on the first ring.

"G?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Callen confirmed. "How is your cover working out?"

"Good," Sam replied. "I'm keeping an eye on the fire juggler here; his name's Manny. I'd have Eric look him up, but if he's part of Gaubert's crew then he won't risk not using an alias. Ops said they couldn't find anything on Tim Gaubert, so Manny's alias is probably just as revealing. How are things with the magicians?"

"I don't find anything off with two of them," Callen said. "But the lead magician, Cory, is gone for now. She sounds pretty shady - and get this, she's Gaubert's cousin."

"I'll remember her," On the other end, Sam nodded, storing Cory's name in his head. "G, have you checked in with Kensi or Deeks yet?"

"No, but I'm about to," responded Callen. "I'll keep you posted."

Callen hung up, then dialed Deeks, who took three rings to answer.

"Deeks," Callen began, not hiding the amused grin that spread on his face as he remembered the detective's ridiculous costume. "Clowns killed you yet?"

"Of course not," Deeks scoffed. On the contrary, he was actually finding this clowning business fun. "I'm not half bad at this stuff."

"Nobody's surprised at that, Deeks," Callen informed him. "Anything seem odd to you over there?"

"Besides the fact that six people in weird costumes and makeup are riding around on unicycles and juggling pieces of fruit?" Deeks asked sarcastically. "Not really. It's kind of hard to tell what's suspicious with clowns since they're so terrifying already. But if I had to name someone, Otto, Thomas, and Aiden have taken two breaks each from practice today."

"Noted," Callen said. "Anybody else?"

Deeks paused for a minute, thinking back. "Yeah," he said slowly. "A vendor named Tristan."

"I'll remember him, too," Callen agreed. "And contact me if you run into a magician who goes by Cory. She's Gaubert's cousin."

"Cory, got it," Deeks confirmed. "All right. Keep me in the loop."

Deeks ended the call.

Later that afternoon:

"And that's pretty much all there is to it," the old man was saying to Kensi. "The next show is in just over an hour. Do you understand my instructions on how to work the popcorn machine?"

"Yeah," Kensi nodded. "Simple enough."

"Good," said the old man approvingly. "And once again, my name is Mr. Samson Conloach, by the way, and I'm the overseer of the concession stands. Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to."

"Yes, sir," Kensi said. "Thanks again."

With that, Conloach walked away, and Kensi began making popcorn. She watched as Conloach entered a trailer across the pathway._ "Odd,"_ she thought. _"I saw Tristan walk in there a couple minutes ago."_ Kensi scanned the rest of the concession grounds. _"The trinket peddler is gone, too. Now why would just they be called away? And that's not even Conloach's trailer - Tristan said it's that magician Cory's." _

Her cell phone vibrated in the pocket of her jeans, and she answered it, keeping her voice low.

"This is Denise," she said, using her alias as two of the circus troupe walked close by. As soon as they were out of earshot, she began again. "Hey, Callen."

"How's your cover holding up?" Callen asked. "Anybody suspicious? It was kind of risky to bring us four in all at once, but so far nobody's asked any questions or seems to have made a connection between any of us."

"That's good," Kensi breathed a small sigh of relief. She'd been worrying about those same things herself. "My alias has been going over pretty smooth. But I just saw at least two concession workers and the overseer go into Cory's trailer. There may be more in there; I've been preoccupied with learning to work the popcorn machine. I don't know why they would go in there, except for a private meeting."

"Keep tabs on them, Kensi," Callen instructed her. "If you can, listen in on what they're saying. Cory just left this tent a minute ago, and she said she was heading over to talk with Gaubert. Unless he's in her trailer along with the concession workers, Cory was lying to us."

"Got it," Kensi agreed.

"Oh, and Kensi," Callen added. "Check in with Deeks and Sam. See if they've got any co-workers missing on their ends that might've come to this trailer meeting."

"Sure," replied the junior agent, hanging up and dialing Sam.

"Actually, yeah, we're missing some people," he answered in response to Kensi's question. "Manny's not here, but he said he was visiting Gaubert. He checks out; I trailed him and I saw him meet with Gaubert just a few minutes ago. I can see his trailer from here, and they're still talking inside. Iris - that's the human pretzel - is in there with them. But besides that, the entire acrobat team is here, and as Thurwood the lion tamer. Iris and Manny are the only two missing."

"Okay, thanks, Sam," Kensi ended the call. Last on her list was to call Deeks.

"West Entertainers, Snorko speaking," Deeks answered, and Kensi laughed. "What? Huh? Oh, hi Kensi."

"How's the clown thing working out, Deeks?" Kensi asked. "And tell me you won't be answering your phone like that from now on."

"Hey, it's fun," Deeks replied defensively. "Maybe I will. I'm actually enjoying myself, unlike you, since you're stuck with that Tristan guy."

"What's wrong with Tristan?" Kensi knew the answer, but she just had to ask.

"Well...he's, uh..." Deeks faltered. "British."

"Oh, right, Deeks. Like that has to do with it. Really nice of you."

"Fine," snorted Deeks. "I think he's snobby."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"I think you don't like that he was holding my arm and being a _gentleman_. I think you're jealous."

"Is that what you think?"

"It sure is."

"Well, you're wrong," Deeks told her triumphantly, but Kensi heard the lie in his voice. Deeks must've heard it, too, because he changed the subject before the conversation on Tristan could go any further. "Anyway, what's up?"

"There seem to be a couple of unannounced meetings going on across the circus," Kensi explained. "Are you guys missing any clowns over there?"

"Glad you asked," answered Deeks. "We're missing four - Otto, Aiden, Lainey, and Thomas. They didn't say where they were going, but wherever it is, they all went together and they kind of avoided any questions we asked. I was just about to call to tell you guys."

"Okay," Kensi reviewed. "So far we're missing Cory, Manny, Iris, Tristan, Conloach, Otto, Aiden, Lainey, and Thomas, with Gaubert in his own trailer. That's a lot of people to be missing at once. I think we've found our team, Deeks."

"Great!" Deeks faked enthusiasm. Being a clown did seem rather ridiculous at first, but he found it rather...relaxing. Of course, there was no way he'd ever tell his teammates. "You call Callen and Sam and tell them to come to the concession area. I'll come over there right away."

"Done," Kensi responded. "See you in a sec, Snorko."

Three minutes later, the team were gathered around Kensi's popcorn cart, keeping a lookout for prying eyes.

"Like Nell said at Ops," Callen began. "Gaubert and his crew will split if they sense any danger. This is their last show in Los Angeles and our last chance to nail them here. How are we going to do it?"

"We should hit them when they're preoccupied," Kensi suggested. "They have a show in just over an hour. We could get Gaubert at a time when he's off-stage, but still inside the big tent."

"And we can do the same thing with his crew," added Deeks. "As they finish their parts in the show, we can arrest them."

"But make sure they're not in the sight of the audience," Sam instructed. "If people start pointing, staring, or panicking, these guys will disappear, just like they always have."

"The only thing we need is solid evidence for these charges," Callen said. "We've got to find something - a document that they shouldn't have, a file on a laptop, records...anything. Kensi? Deeks?"

"On it," they both said in unison.

"I'll take Cory's trailer once their meeting is done," Kensi volunteered. "Deeks can take Gaubert's."

"It's a plan," Callen agreed. "Once the show starts, two of us can cover the main entrance and two others can take the back. Be inconspicuous. And in the meantime, let's see what we can get out of their conversation."

The team split up: Sam and Deeks headed over to Gaubert's trailer, while Kensi and Callen stayed near Cory's. This way, Deeks and Kensi would already be at the correct trailers when the meeting split up and the agents made their move to snoop around.

The magician's trailer's windows were tinted, making it hard for Kensi and Callen to see inside. But one was unlatched, and millimeter by millimeter, Callen pushed it open as slowly as he could so as not to draw attention. A female voice was speaking sternly to a small group of others inside the trailer. Kensi and Callen ducked below the window and listened.

"I don't care how authentic their ID's are," said the female.

"It's Cory," Callen whispered, barely audible, but Kensi heard him and nodded.

Cory continued, "Keep an eye on them. Don't let them near anything important. Keep those files close to you tonight; never leave them unguarded for a second. Standard newbies procedure, folks."

"Done and done," said another voice.

"Child's play," commented another.

"Tristan and Conloach," Kensi murmured to Callen after a moment.

"And stick with the extras, do you hear me?" Cory commanded. "We're risking enough by staying in L.A., but we can't change the flyer dates without making ourselves suspects. So we'll do a show, pack it up, and ship out, got it?"

"Got it," responded several dutiful voices.

"Good," Cory said approvingly. "Now scatter. You've been gone long enough. I don't want any of you talking to me or Gaubert at all tonight until we're out of here."

Kensi snuck across the pathway to her popcorn cart just before the door of the trailer opened. She pretended to be interested in working the popcorn machine, and the criminal circus crew, making sure they weren't being watched, filed out and scattered. Callen made his way back to the other magicians in the big tent, where setup was going on for the night's show.

Over at Gaubert's trailer, Sam and Deeks had overheard much the same conversation as Kensi and Callen. After a brief check-in call with their other two teammates, Sam returned to his practice area, and Deeks waited for the trailer to empty.

Gaubert himself was the last person out, and he locked the door behind him. Deeks watched as the lead criminal entered the big-top and disappeared from sight. The detective then proceeded to pick the lock.

"Mr. Gaubert keeps a neat trailer," Deeks commented to nobody in particular.

Everything is the criminal's living-space seemed to have its place. It didn't immediately cry, "There are things hidden in here!" because everything was in plain sight.

"Clever," thought Deeks. "This could take a while...whatever's hidden will be hidden really well."

So he began to search the trailer top to bottom, carefully replacing every object he moved from its spot. He did feel rather silly, inspecting a circus ringleader's trailer while dressed in this costume. He was rather glad the rest of his team wasn't watching him.

Deeks checked his watch. Only half an hour until the show started; he had to get to his respective post with some incriminating evidence very soon, or this whole operation might fall through. He hoped Kensi was having more luck at Cory's trailer than he was at Gaubert's.

Meanwhile, across the fairground, Kensi sighed in exasperation. There was absolutely nothing here to find - in fact, most of the documents she DID uncover only gave Cory a positive image. The investigation of the lead magician's trailer was working against NCIS's theory.

Kensi forced herself to think hard. Had Cory said anything to her crew that might hint at where the secrets were hidden? Well, yeah, of course: she'd said "Keep those files close to you tonight; never leave them unguarded for a second," but that could mean anything. It could be a secret hiding place, a guarded cache, positively anywhere. Unless...

Kensi quickly dialed Deeks's number, and a moment later, she heard the detective answer with, "This is Snorko. What do you have, Kensi?"

Kensi dove right in. No time for witty comments on Deeks's opening remark. "Cory told her teammates to keep the files close to them tonight. What if she meant for them to actually keep them on their person?"

"Looks like elaborate costumes just got a whole new use," Deeks replied. "Good thinking. Tell Sam and Callen; I'm heading over to the big-top."

Thirty minutes later, Kensi and Deeks were posted at the front entrance of the circus tent, while Callen and Sam were inside. The former two did not have actual parts in the circus act and could get away with staying in front of the tent. Kensi had wheeled her popcorn cart to the new location, while Deeks painted faces, sold balloons, and juggled just a few yards away. Callen and Sam, who both had parts near the beginning of the circus, would complete their performances, then station themselves at the back entrance, which was used by crew members only.

Deeks had snuck into the dressing rooms just twenty minutes before. The actors had already donned their costumes, but the clowns' supplies still sat in their respective drawers. Upon picking up the plastic juggling balls of Otto the Clown, Deeks had heard rattling from inside. Hearing someone coming, he'd switched out one of the balls with one of his own and left.

The detective hadn't had a chance to inspect the toy object further until now. The customers had all emptied into the tent, and the performance was about to begin. Deeks motioned for Kensi to leave her cart and come over.

"What do you have?" she asked.

"This is from the clowns' dressing room," Deeks explained, pulling out the plastic purple orb. "It's Otto's. I heard something rattling inside it."

"Let me see," Kensi said, taking the ball. To their surprise, the ball came apart into two pieces when she pulled on it. A small flash drive fell into the junior agent's palm.

"Well, well, Otto," said Deeks. "Looks like you haven't been sharing some things with your clown brethren."

"Clown brethren, Deeks? Really?" Kensi raised an eyebrow.

"What? We're like this big family," Deeks shrugged. "A really odd family who wears makeup and gives children nightmares. But family is family, right?"

"Yeah, well, you've already got one," Kensi informed him. "And that's Sam, Callen, and I. What we need to do now is put this flash drive in a computer somewhere to see if it's actually evidence."

"Gaubert's trailer is close by," Deeks suggested, and Kensi agreed with a nod. Turning off the popcorn machine, she followed her partner through the tents and concession stands to reach the ringmaster's trailer.

Once inside, they hurriedly jammed the flash drive into the leader's laptop, waiting for the file to come up.

"Shoot!" Kensi cursed. "It wants a password."

Without speaking, Deeks typed in the letters M-U-R-I-E-L-6 into the password box. With an electronic *ding* the file came up.

"Otto worked with a clown in San Francisco named Muriel," Deeks said. "She could juggle six hackey-sacks at once. He told me that story this afternoon. Family, right?"

"I'd be really scared if you knew MY passwords," Kensi joked. Deeks nervously remembered the time when Kensi had been a prime suspect, and he had guessed her computer password on the first try. He decided that this was information best kept to himself.

"Wow, check this out," he exclaimed, looking at the file. Kensi let out a breath.

"Whoa," she murmured. "Westens was selling some top-level classified documents, it looks like."

"This is all we need!" Deeks grinned. "We rock." He high-fived his laughing partner, who then pulled out her cell phone to call Callen.

"Callen and Sam should be done with their acts by now," Kensi said. She dialed a number, and their fellow agent answered right away.

"Tell me you have something," Callen began.

"Oh, yes," Kensi told him. "These guys are definitely our criminals. We've got a flash drive here from Otto the Clown, and it alone has got everything we'll need to convict them."

"Is that so?"

"What's that, Deeks?" Kensi looked at him, but realized her partner hadn't spoken. His hand strayed immediately to his gun and his wide eyes were focused behind Kensi. A sinking feeling in her stomach, she slowly turned to look directly behind her.

Gaubert really did look very handsome in his red, gold-trimmed coat and black dress pants. But all Kensi and Deeks had eyes for was the gun he clutched in his raised right hand. Gaubert smiled with a breed of pleasure that made Kensi feel sick.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages," said Gaubert grandly. Then his clever eyes narrowed and his grin widened. "Welcome to the real West Entertainers Traveling circus. Without further ado, let the fun begin."


	4. Chapter 4

**This is just way too much fun. In this chapter, I wanted to really use a few of the agents' individual disguises to their advantage. Here's the result - let me know what you think? Thank you! **

**(And I'd love to know: did you find that Gaubert came across as a cheesy villain or a cool one? I'm really kind of surprised at how easy it is to come up with villainous lines that have circus themes. Not sure if I should be concerned, or what.)**

**Thanks again for reading and I hoped you had as much fun with this as I did!**

"Kensi? Deeks?" Callen furrowed his brow, still speaking into his phone. He'd heard a voice in the background that didn't belong to either of the teammates that were on the line.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages," the menacing male voice spoke. Callen felt a chill crawl up his spine. "Welcome to the real West Entertainers Traveling circus. Without further ado, let the fun begin."

"Sam!" Callen flipped the phone shut in a hurry and turned to his partner. Sam was pulling his shirt over his head, having just finished his act and come out of the tent's back exit.

"Did Kensi and Deeks find anything?" Sam asked, setting his extinguished juggling torch to lean against the thick fabric of the big-top.

"Yeah, but they're not alone in there," Callen explained hurriedly, starting to run in the direction of Gaubert's trailer. Without another word, Sam began to run with him as the younger agent filled him in. "I could hear Gaubert in the background. I think they might be in his trailer; I saw Gaubert heading over there a minute ago once the openings were done."

Sam pulled his gun from a Velcro pocket of his cargo pants. But Sam didn't make a move to touch his radio. They'd agreed to use radioing only as a last resort; it was a dead giveaway as to their authenticity as circus workers.

"Shouldn't you radio Kensi or Deeks?" Callen asked as Gaubert's trailer came into sight.

"No," Sam shook his head. "With Gaubert, we're always gonna need the element of surprise, up until the last second. And where's your gun?"

Callen felt the pockets of his dress pants and swore when he found they contained only trick cards and other illusionist's trinkets. "It was there when I did my magic act. Where the heck could it have gone in just ten minutes?"

"No time to look for it," Sam said. "Just let me go in first."

They didn't even pause before kicking open the unlocked trailer door. Gaubert would've heard their heavy breathing if they'd stopped even just for a moment.

Gaubert didn't seem startled at all when the two agents burst into the trailer, Sam pointing a gun. He didn't even turn around, still pointing his own firearm at Kensi's head.

"There you are," said Gaubert, almost pleasantly. Callen felt that chill again. "You don't really think I wasn't expecting you? Your friends here were talking to _someone _on their phones, not dead air. However, though your heroics are admirable, I'm afraid you're greatly outnumbered."

"Four to one," Deeks protested. "Outnumbered? Don't think so."

"Do quiet yourself, clown," Gaubert scowled. "You're in no position to boast."

Kensi didn't move, but she glanced at Deeks from the corner of her eye. "He's got a point, Snorko. Shut up."

"Lower the weapon, Handris," Sam demanded loudly. "Or I'll shoot."

"Now don't get your torches in a twist, Mr. Jepson. We'll see who's the faster shot," Gaubert challenged. "This isn't my first time handling a gun, and it isn't my friends' first time either."

Suddenly, as Callen turned around in bewilderment, nine oddly-dressed circus crew members appeared in the trailer doorway. Otto, Aiden, Lainey, and Thomas - four clowns. Tristan and Conloach - two concession workers. Manny - one fire juggler. Iris - one gymnastics expert. And at their head was Cory - one magician and Gaubert's younger cousin, decked out in a tailored suit and top hat identical to Callen's.

"Well, well, Mr. Leighton," Cory was unamused as she fingered her traditional magician's wand in her right hand. "I see you've been prying at some of our secrets. And you know what they say about magicians' secrets - they aren't mean to be found out."

"Nicely put, little cousin," Gaubert commended, still not turning. "Now, my dear troupe, it appears our newest employees have been snooping around in the more *restricted* areas of our circus. Though I suppose they never _really _intended to work for us."

"Who are you?" Cory demanded. The team stayed silent, eyes shifting from circus troupe member to circus troupe member.

"The introductions can wait, Cory," Gaubert said, remarkably calm. "But why don't we do a little digging here? I constantly put my faith in all of you to do your jobs and keep outsider interference to a complete null. However, it seems some of you left your guard down - and so soon after the arrest of our good Mr. Westens? I'm disappointed, my friends, truly, and we will deal with the topic of our weak link at a later time."

"Sorry, Handris, but you're going to have to discuss it in prison," Callen informed the ringmaster. The criminal laughed.

"You in law enforcement have such amusing faith," he chuckled. "However, now you're just being fools. I'd encourage you to drop your guns, Mr. Jepson, Mr. Snorko, and Ms. Denise. After that, I'd like all of you to place your hands behind your backs. Let's not forget that there are ten of us here, and merely four of you."

The teammates exchanged glances, nodded quickly to each other, and slowly placed their firearms on the carpeted trailer floor. Immediately, members of the troupe moved forward and in turn seized each of the agents, holding their wrists firmly behind their backs.

"Now, then," Gaubert said, lowering his weapon and turning to address his troupe. "The remaining members of the circus - the ones who were wise enough _not _to ask questions about our small business, unlike you - are still running the show. We can't leave our audience for too long. I'd like you all to firmly bind up our guests here and post a guard. Keep them supervised at all times - and please keep track of them better than you did your flash drives. I'm not asking."

The troupe of villains was just responding with a round of determined "yes sirs" when Sam gave a sharp backwards kick to his captor (Iris the gymnastics expert) who gave a sharp yelp and momentarily let go of Sam's hands. The rest of the team took action in a second, resisting against the surprised criminals and swiping up their guns from the floor. Callen yanked the flash drive from the laptop and slipped it into his top hat as he followed his fellow agents out of the trailer door, faster than you could say "circus act".

Back in the trailer, Gaubert wasted no time in riling up his stunned troupe. "What are you waiting for, my permission? Go!"

Sam was already on his cell phone, calling for backup from NCIS. Deeks, on the other hand, was calling for backup from LAPD, just in case. However, the carnival criminals weren't finished. As the agents prepped themselves for another struggle, four of the troupe appeared in front of them, cutting them off. They had taken a shortcut through a small prop tent, and emerged now with handguns that unfortunately didn't look like props at all.

Another four appeared behind the group of agents; they were armed as well. Finally, out strolled Gaubert himself, with his magician cousin Cory at his side, linked arm-in-arm like Kensi and Tristan had been that afternoon. Gaubert no longer looked so amused. It might've been because now all the agents (minus Callen) were pointing guns. Gaubert's own weapon was in his free hand.

"Putting up a fight, I see," Gaubert commented. "You're only delaying the inevitable."

"I'm not so sure," Sam said gravely. Still keeping steady aim with his gun, he slowly reached for a container that was buried in a deep pocket of his pants.

"Stop that!" Gaubert commanded, but Sam didn't make a move to stop. "I'll have you killed if you try anything."

"That wouldn't be the best move," Callen reminded him. "Gunshots while there's a couple hundred visitors in the big tent? That might cause some panic - and some calls to the police."

Gaubert turned red with anger, mostly because Callen was right. Shooting them wasn't a favored option, as much as the ringmaster's hand itched to pull the trigger. Binding them up and waiting for the circus to empty would be the smart thing to do. He was weighing the chances that the intruders had already called whatever agency they were from to request backup when Sam produced the small bottle of Coleman fuel from his pocket. Whisking the top off, he let the flammable fuel cascade onto the ground a few feet in front of him. Sam aimed his gun at the puddle.

"You shoot, I shoot," he said steadily. "And you'll have to deal with the fire."

"Are you having a _National Treasure_ moment?" Deeks asked.

"Shut up, Deeks."

"I'm just saying, at the beginning of the movie, they used almost this exact method of-"

Sam ignored the clown and continued to talk to Gaubert. "Put down your guns."

The whole troupe looked to their ringmaster leader with a question in their eyes. Gaubert closed his eyes, sighed, then gave a small nod. The disappointed criminals all lowered their guns.

"Now put your hands behind your backs," instructed Callen, who still felt rather inferior since he'd lost his gun. It wasn't like his magician's wand could do much damage. Pretty much all it did was sprout a bouquet of faux flowers from one end when he pressed a button. And we all know how much fear _that _can strike into a person.

The troupe did as commanded, even Gaubert and Cory. Deeks and Kensi locked their gloved hands into cuffs and began to lead them away, listening for any signs of the backup they'd requested.

"Looks like you lost this one, Gaubert," Deeks said as he prodded the ringmaster along in front of him.

"Did I?" Gaubert's wicked smile flickered back onto his face, but before the detective could say anything, Cory whipped around and freed herself from Kensi's iron grip.

Cory's handcuffs clattered to the ground, and Kensi's eyes were wide with confusion and shock. The ringmaster's cousin pulled a small object from the pocket of her tailored black coat, and smoke shot into the air around the crowd of villains and agents.

"Alakazam," Cory laughed, but Kensi and Deeks couldn't hear them anymore after that. They searched through the smoke, trying in vain to find the two cousins as they coughed. The smoke began to thin quickly.

"There!" Deeks yelled, his voice breaking off abruptly into a hacking fit. Drawing his gun from the pocket of his ridiculously airy blue clown pants, he and Kensi chased the pair of criminals into the prop tent.

As soon as Kensi's eyes stopped watering and she could see clearly, she spotted Cory and Gaubert at the far end of the tent. Gaubert had had no time to retrieve his gun in the struggle, and he now stood behind his younger cousin, who pointed her magician's want threateningly at the two agents.

"That's not a weapon," Deeks informed her, but Kensi noticed he didn't lower his gun.

"You'd be surprised," Cory snapped. "Don't make me saw you in half, clown. Because I won't put you back together."

In other circumstances, this might've seemed the appropriate time for Kensi to make a joking "Oh, snap!" comment, but in light of Cory's villainous deeds, she didn't dare. Instead, she only kept her gun trained on Gaubert's head.

"Get on your knees," she commanded.

"I think I'd rather not," Gaubert replied cooly. "These pants are new and I wouldn't want to dirty them by kneeling on the ground. But thank you for the invitation."

"I'm serious," Kensi repeated, teeth clenched. They may be unarmed, but they were really pressing on her nerves.

"Yeah, she's serious," Deeks piped, in a lame attempt to reinforce his partner's statement.

"You have long since become annoying to me," Gaubert said with a scowl. "I'm tired of this tedious charade. Cory, I believe it's time you show our guests out; what say you, my dear?"

"I say heck yeah," Cory replied vehemently. Adding a sharp, "Abracadabra!" for effect, she pulled a hidden trigger in her wand. With a flash, the other end of the rod lit into sparks.

"Keep your eyes on the wand, ladies and gentlemen," Cory instructed, as if performing in one of her acts. "I hear this particular wand can have a *firey* attitude."

"You're really progressing with the evil lines, Cory," Gaubert told her pleasantly in the background.

"Don't shoot," Deeks said, trying to keep the beg out of his voice. The wand was trained on Kensi. Now is one time where Deeks wished he looked more threatening than his partner.

"And why in my right mind wouldn't I?" Cory laughed. "My wand makes much less sound than my cousin's noisy handgun. I can shoot you both right now and the show will go on. No one in the tent will be the wiser. You two shouldn't have gotten involved - especially you, clown. You'd have made a good member of our little troupe. We usually go for the ignorant ones."

"Okay, that hurts," Deeks said, wrinkling his forehead. All at once, he grabbed his plastic juggling balls from the same pocket as his gun. "But not as much as this."

With that, he sent one sailing at the magician's head. It made a thud as it hit her temple, sending her sprawling to the ground, out cold. Cory's blonde hair splayed wildly about her shoulders as she lay on her stomach.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was that one of the weighted ones?" Deeks asked the unconscious Cory. "Ouch."

"Deeks, the wand!" Kensi yelled, lunging forward to snag the weapon. But Gaubert had already made a move to snag it, and now he pointed it at the agent and the detective.

"And now for the grand finale," Gaubert said. "Why not go out with a bang?"

"I wouldn't do that, Gaubert," came Callen's voice from behind the ringmaster.

"If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Leighton," Gaubert said, not turning around. "You were unarmed the last time I saw you."

"Um, Callen..." Deeks said. He and Kensi were pointing their own guns at the magician's head, but with Callen standing directly behind him, they didn't have a clear shot. "The guy might be senile, but...he's kind of right. You lost your gun. If you could move like three feet to your left, we can get this guy."

"Well, well, what have we here?" Callen mused. The loading of a gun and the click of the safety snapping off followed his voice. Gaubert closed his eyes, cursing in his head. Slowly, he pressed a button on Cory's wand, extinguishing the sparks. He laid it on the ground, and Deeks moved to thrust the ringmaster villain's hands behind his back. One of the newly-arrived backup officers, as requested from LAPD and NCIS, cuffed Gaubert and led him away. Through the now-open tent flap, the agents could see that other officers were already forcing the troupe members into squad cars and vans.

"Callen, where'd you find your gun?" Kensi asked incredulously.

Callen looked at his firearm for a long time before giving his answer, not glancing up. "Believe it or not, I pulled it out of my hat."

Deeks's jaw visibly dropped. "No way. How?"

"Deeks, what a stupid question," Kensi rolled her eyes. "Magicians don't reveal their tricks."

"Well, I would if I could," Callen shrugged. "But I really don't know."

"Shoot," Deeks mumbled. "That could've come in handy sometime."

"There's only one problem now," Callen said, taking his wide-brimmed black top hat off of his head and feeling around inside of it. "I have no idea what happened to my white rabbit."

Later that evening, the team slowly trickled back into the bullpen, changed out of their disguises. Deeks walked in and leaned on his desk, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Being a clown was fun for a while," he admitted. "But putting on a pair of jeans never felt this good. I could hug someone."

He raised a questioning eyebrow at Kensi and spread his arms out. "Fern? Gonna take me up on that?"

"Not on your life," Kensi shook her head, but she was smiling a little. Callen came into the bullpen.

"Tailored suits aren't my thing," he said. "The hat was pretty nice, though."

"Yeah, well, if you wear it to work tomorrow, I'll make _you _disappear," Sam informed his partner from his own desk. "Dunno about you guys, but I'm exhausted. See you tomorrow."

"Can a magician hitch a ride?" Callen asked as Sam rose from his chair.

"Maybe, if you don't go around calling yourself a magician," Sam replied.

"Illusionist always felt more legit anyway."

Kensi and Deeks watched as the bickering friends left the NCIS building. Deeks yawned.

"You tired?" Kensi asked him. "Really, Deeks. Man up."

"You're telling _me_ to man up?" Deeks looked surprised. "I spent the day as a clown. I thought my manliness was irredeemable. Good to know I'm not that far gone."

Kensi was ready with a witty comeback, but remembered Hetty's earlier words. _"You are, after all, a key component in his self-esteem system."_

"_Oh, heck," _Kensi thought. _"We're partners. We bicker. Sue me."_

"You're so far gone that you're almost back," Kensi said. "But not quite. Sorry."

"You're cruel, Kensi, you know that?" Deeks asked. But he was grinning, too, and they both knew they loved the arguing. "Anyway, are you busy tonight?"

"Do you know how odd those two sentences sound in sequence?" Kensi laughed. "But no, I'm not busy, why?"

"Well, I'm kind of hungry. How does Burger Queen sound?"

"Like royalty."

Deeks stuck out his bent arm and offered it to Kensi. "Shall we?" he asked in the British accent that he could pull off so well.

"You're still jealous of Tristan, circus boy," Kensi said, but she took his arm nonetheless. They began to walk out of the building and to Deeks's car.

"Jealous of Tristan? He's in prison," Deeks reminded her. "But I did find it rather...uncouth that such criminal filth would hold your arm."

"Stop using words like 'uncouth'," Kensi grinned. "And can you please cool it with the British accent already? Besides, you think _every _man that flirts with me in criminal filth."

"Not untrue," Deeks admitted with a shrug, switching back to his American accent. He opened the passenger door for his partner.

A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of the burger joint, where they ordered two cheeseburgers and fries.

"It always amazes me how you can eat like that and still look like a Brazilian model," Deeks commented as he watched her swallow a giant bite of burger.

"Again with the Brazilian models," Kensi groaned. "But thank you."

Deeks was silent for a moment, then casually mentioned, "You know, being a clown has its advantages."

Kensi nearly choked on her dinner. "What?" she stammered. "You've got to be joking."

"While that _is_ one of the basic skills of a clown, no, I'm not joking," Deeks said assuredly. "I learned a lot of things today at the circus. For example, watch this."

He opened his messenger bag and took out the air pump and an un-inflated red twisty balloon. Kensi watched, grinning, as Deeks filled the balloon with air and tied it off.

"Now, if you remember correctly, this morning I could only make a fat Daschund," he reminded her. With three quick, careful twists, he formed a head and two sets of legs. Proud of himself, he handed the balloon dog to his partner to admire.

"Wow," she said, examining the rubber creature carefully. "You actually improved in those few hours before the bust."

"And I can tell a pretty mean joke."

"Oh, please don't."

"But I practiced, Fern," Deeks pleaded, putting on puppy-dog eyes just like Monty's. "Come on. One joke."

"Fine," Kensi consented.

"Knock-knock."

"Who's there?"

"Halibut."

"Halibut who?"

"Halibut a hug for the detective, Fern?" Deeks gave that joking smile of his, broader than ever, and again spread his arms out.

"Did you really just ask me to hug you using a joke about a fish?" Kensi asked, thinking she should be surprised but then figuring, it _was_ Deeks.

"Maybe," Deeks raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"

Kensi only thought about it for an instant. "Nope."

So she let Deeks hug her, and even hugged him back a little. Kensi had grease on her fingers from her burger and fries, and was sure there was a smear of ketchup on the corner of her mouth, but it really didn't matter to her. She knew her partner didn't care.

"Well, I think this ended quite nicely," Deeks said after a long silence. "If every circus bust ends with you in my arms, I think I don't mind the ridiculous costume."

"I'm trying to decide if I should punch you or be flattered," Kensi mused.

"Probably both, just to be safe," Deeks suggested. "Wouldn't want to rush things."

Kensi pulled back just enough to slug him on the arm, then sank back into their embrace. Maybe she sighed happily just a little - but then again, Deeks could've been imagining it.

"I'm one lucky clown today, aren't I?" Deeks boasted.

"It's a good thing you're funny, or I'd have killed you by now."

Deeks chose to ignore that comment, and instead asked, "Now that we've eaten, is there anyplace you want to go?"

Kensi thought for a while, but shook her head no. "I have no idea, what about you?"

"I heard there's a circus in town."

Kensi looked at her partner for a long time before bursting into laughter. "Only you, Deeks," she said.

"No, seriously," Deeks continued. "A real circus. With no evil masterminds for ringmasters."

She was just about to say no when a voice reasoned inside her head, _"Well, why not?" _

"I'd like that, Snorko."

**A/N:** **And there you have it! The end. What'd you think of the Densi? I'd love some reviews and constructive criticism if you have the time. (And on Densi: this week's trailer! *squee*) Well, thanks for reading! I hope to write a couple more short stories soon. **


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